Government Home Search Sitemap Contact Us

Minister announces new kindergarten program for September

Roger Grimes, Minister of Education, today announced funding of $500,000 for the implementation of a new kindergarten program in the schools of Newfoundland and Labrador. This initiative represents a major commitment to early literacy development for the province's 7,200 kindergarten children and 400 kindergarten teachers.

The Department of Education is presently working on an exciting new curriculum guide for kindergarten called, Early Beginnings, which places the kindergarten year in the context of new curriculum developments in Atlantic Canada.

Mr. Grimes said this initiative represents a significant commitment to early literacy development during a critical time period in a child's learning process. During the public consultation on Education last fall many presenters in various areas of the province expressed concerns over the existing kindergarten program, which had been in place for more than 20 years. The new guide will be made available during late spring to kindergarten teachers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. A collection of quality children's literature, supporting the general direction of this guide, has already been distributed to teachers. Each teacher will also have an opportunity to choose one of two sets of authorized resources, Book Shop, or Literacy 2000, which will be available for this coming September.

"This is another example of parents getting involved in the process and government acting on their wishes," concluded Mr. Grimes.

Contact: Carl Cooper, (709) 729-5040.